Picture Gallery

Monday, March 31, 2014

As we get closer to the start of filmingon Man of Steel 2, it's hard to come across fan pics of Henry. Last time we saw him he was enjoying St. Patrick's Day. Now a couple of new photos from last month's Crossfit competition have surfaced (check out the rest 1/2). Henry was there to support his trainer Michael Blevinsand plenty of fans got a chance to meet him. Steve says Henry watched him compete and cheered him on. Right on, Superman!

She's cute, she's quirky, and for what seemed like five seconds last summer, she dated Henry. Now for the first time Kaley Cuoco has mentioned their whirlwind romance, in her interviewwith Cosmopolitan (May issue).

"It was Superman. I had no one following me until I met Superman. I've been in this business for 20 years, and my whole life, I could go anywhere, do anything. There had not been one paparazzi photo of me until like seven months ago. The recognition has been crazy."

Sunday, March 30, 2014

It sounds like Warner Bros. is getting ready to make it official. A Justice League movie is on the way, along with several other films involving the DC universe. The news comes via The New York Times, that recently chatted with Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara:

A film series will be announced in the near future, Mr. Tsujihara said. It is expected to include a “Justice League” movie.

That Justice League announcement likely won't come until Comic-Con, where the Man of Steel sequel was first announced last year. The New York Times goes on to talk about Tsujihara's bold move, regarding Batman vs. Superman:

Underscoring his aggressive approach to the DC Comics universe, Mr. Tsujihara and Dan Fellman, Warner’s domestic film distribution chief, recently moved the studio’s untitled Batman-Superman movie — a hotly anticipated follow-up to last year’s “Man of Steel” — to a release date in May 2016 previously claimed by Marvel for one of its own films. It created an industry dust-up, and Marvel retaliated with a date change of its own. But the move sent a blunt message: Warner takes a back seat to no one.

While many fan boys (and girls) would love to see a "Mexican standoff" like Latino Review calls it, even the Captain America: Winter Soldier directors say that's not happening:"I'm sure the studios are enjoying the press they're getting at the moment, but there is no universe where those two movies are ever gonna end up on the same day with each other, it's just bad business all around."

What is happening and we're VERY excited about, is Gal Gadot's appearance as Wonder Woman in Batman vs. Superman. While it remains to be seen when she'll actually arrive in Detroit to start filming her scenes, Gadot was in LA this week promoting a skin care product. Regarding the film, she told Entertainment Tonightthat she's "very excited for what's to come."

Check out her ad for Vine Vera Skin Care.

Costume designer Michael Wilkinson, has been dropping hints here andthere about the new costumes he's been working on for Man of Steel 2. He might have shared a little bit more about that, during his conversation with the Costume Cafe (episode 21). Another thing I'm exploring is digital printing. I'm working with an amazing print artist at the moment in Los Angeles, and she has really helped me develop a really cool kind of textural language for a costume I'm working on at the moment which involves screening. We did digital files of what the print looks like and then she layers them. I think at the moment she's broken a record, she's actually piled ten screens on top of each other, to create this very specific texture for this costume.

Michael also talked about his big break as a costume designer and where he gets started, once he begins a new project:

I would say really an amazing day in my life was when I met Zack Snyder. You know working with him, I've done now four films together with him now. Working with him has allowed me to explore the outer limits of my creativity because he's such a trusting and open-minded gentleman. He's talented and has an amazing vision, but he appreciates the contribution of his collaborators to help get his work to another level, so I would say that was a really important day for me.

The script is always like the starting point. For me, your job as a costume designer is to support the themes of the film and really get inside the character's mind.
Any guesses on what costume he's applying the digital screening to? we're thinking Wonder Woman -- Guess we'll find out soon enough when the studio releases a first look at the costumes that include a new look for Superman. It's rumored to be coming soon!

Friday, March 28, 2014

You can feel it in the air, filming on Man of Steel 2 is about to take flight! -- today the Michigan Film Office posted the first casting call for the movie, set to take place on April 27th:

WARNER BROS. FEATURE FILM EXTRAS CASTING

This specific casting call is for clean cut military and lawenforcement types and business executives in suits over 18 yrs., male and female.

NO COSTUMES PLEASE!

MUST be available to work in Detroit area locations, week days, eitherinside or outside, anytime between June-November 2014.

Now we know they're not actually saying the name of the film, but..

Of course that reaction was followed by the realization that we don't live in Detroit..

So we'll just have to live vicariously through those of you who do end up snatching a role in the film. Dammit.

Costume designer Michael Wilkinson told us he'll be in Detroit through the end of the year. The casting call guidelines give us a better idea of when filming will take place (at least the scenes involving extras).

One of the reasons we are SO excited for filming to begin other than the obvious..

(thanks amancanfly for the visual), is that we get to see director Zack Snyder in action. This week Kevin Costner talked to Collider at CinemaCon, about his work on Man of Steel. He had nothing but great things to say about Zack, calling him a "true artist" (at about 4:50).

Costner himself received some praise from HeyUGuys, when they put Man of Steel on their list of Best Superhero Origin Stories:

It may not have been the wisest decision to slow down the first act of Man of Steel by delving into Clark Kent’s early years with the use of flashbacks, but what we got was still very effective and arguably one of the best live-action Superman origin tales yet. After an epic visit to Krypton and an in-depth look at Kal-El’s birth parents, the story of how the adopted son of Jonathan and Martha Kent becomes a hero hinged on the relationship that the young Man of Steel had with his father.

Image: Warner Bros.

Kevin Costner is perfect in this role regardless of whether it’s when he’s interacting with the young or older Clark, and the scene in which he willingly sacrifices himself to help hide his son’s secret is truly heartbreaking to watch, but helps set the future Superman on the right path.

The process of course is much more complicated than that, and Jay talked about it last year during his interview with Voices from Krypton. Give it a read.

Hello handsome! guess who's making a cameo appearance in a new Infinite Crisis clip highlighting his maddened-self? - just can't get overour crush for Superman, nightmare or not..

Last year was ALL about Superman and this year it's Batman's year to shine. As part of the celebration, Warner Brothers has released the official 75th anniversary logo and shared details of some of the events to come. Check out all the details in the LA Times. Just a few weeks ago,we brought you the news that the Batmobile is finished. It's nice to see the two superhero worlds slowly coming together, in time for the release of Batman vs. Superman on May 6, 2016.

Earlier this month, director Zack Snyder hinted that filming on the Man of Steel sequel will begin in April, so we're hoping to share some exciting news from Detroit pretty soon here. Stay tuned!

Costume designer Michael Wilkinson has only been on twitter for a short while, yet look at him tease us like a pro. Last week herevealed he was in Chicagodoing some last minute costume work for Batman vs. Superman, and last night he was in New York pretty much counting us down to the start of filming. We love this man and his creative mind. Keep the updates coming please!

Someone who's definitely not spilling any details is the new Lex Luthor. MTV caught up with Jesse Eisenberg in Miami and tried to sneak in a question about Batman vs. Superman. Yeah, good luck with that..

"I'm not allowed to say anything about anything for the next 6 years," and that was pretty much the only thing he had to say. Read the scoop at MTV.

While Jesse is keeping mum, today at CinemaCon The Rock talked about the DC role he'll be playing. Okay, it was more like him toying with journalists by giving them three clues:Here are three qualities. The first quality we were looking for was that he had to be extremely complex and have a lot going on. What that does for me as an actor and the studio is it gives us space that we can explore; his complexities. The other quality was that he had to — the character we were looking for had to be well-known but never brought to life. Then what that does again as an actor, it gives me a little bit of space, and we talked about personality. It just gives me a chance to put an imprint into his personality, with the set of tools that I could bring to the table and put a very unique twist on his personality, but still pay homage to who he is. The third thing — and most important — is he had to be a badass motherfucker, okay, and on a Superman level of power, where could throw down.
He definitely caught our attention when he mentioned Superman. So who do you think The Rock is talking about? MTV breaks it down and has some good guesses. Our money is on Cyborg, MTV is betting it's Aquaman.

Remember when Gal Gadot mentioned she'd be filming Man of Steel 2 in May? - well that's apparently changed. The new Wonder Womanposted a pic of her Justin Timberlake concert tickets for the end of May and that's happening in Tel Aviv. So there's that. And who knew Wonder Woman had a dedicated following at Smithsonian magazine. They shared an excellent article about 'The Amazon Women' and whether there is any truth behind the myth. Great read.

IGN has us smiling after they posted the results of a fan poll, that asked people what superhero movie they'd prefer to see first: Batman vs. Superman or Captain America 3. He he..read it and weep Cap fans.

On a more serious note, today Chris Evans confirmed to Variety that he's planning to retire from acting after he fulfills his commitment with Marvel. You don't want to miss this article, because it really highlights the life of an actor in a superhero role and its pros and cons as Scarlett Johansson points out:“It’s something that obviously allows you the opportunity to do things like go and direct your first feature and have a built-in audience for that. At the same time, at the end of the job, there’s always a super suit in your future.”

For all of the potential shortcomings of playing a superhero, Robert Downey Jr. put it all in perspectivewhile also talking to Variety:It’s kind of like having a really cool TV job. They are always hoping they don’t get picked up for another season; or they are wondering if they’re going to get picked up for another season; or they have done so many seasons, and they are already sick of doing the show, but the show is so big, it’s working well for them. Any of those three things is better than calling your agent and saying, ‘Hey, anything going on? It’s pilot season.’ ”

And that's some superhero wisdom for ya. Updates from Detroit as we get them!

If you followed our coverage during the filming of The Man from U.N.C.L.E., you know we're in for an action-filled thrill ride come next January. That's when the Guy Ritchie helmed picture is set to be released, with Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer playing two spies working together despite their differences. U.N.C.L.E. is based on the popular 60s TV show by the same name. We were lucky enough to catch up with actorDan Westwood, who worked in the film that was mostly shot in and around London. He gave us an inside look at what it was like to work on U.N.C.L.E. and got us even more excited (if that's possible) about what we can expect to see on the big screen.

How did you end up getting a job on The Man from U.N.C.L.E.?

They sent a brief out to a bunch of casting agents, who put forward their most appropriate selections. Production then sift through the shortlists & choose the best candidate for the role.

How long did you work on the film and what role(s) do you play?

I worked on & off on the movie for around 2-3 months, early on as a costume double for Henry Cavill, then for the most part, as an Italian armed guard with my trusty MP5!

Did you get to go on location and what was your favorite scene to shoot?

Yes, we were on location for a good month or so, a lot of night shoots also, then back up to Warner Bros. Leavesden, for work inside the studios for the final few weeks. I can't disclose any of the plot or specific details about certain scenes for obvious reasons, but I did get to fire my machine gun a lot! Which is a release in itself.

You worked with Henry in some of the scenes, what can you tell us about that experience?

I've never worked/filmed in the US, so I can only speak for my experience within the British film industry, but it's very civilised, reasonably quiet on set so people are able to hear themselves think, and very industrious!
The principle actors are usually quietly going over their lines to themselves, while everyone else is bustling about setting up the next shot etc, so it's a little like a bee-hive, and works along the same hierarchical/pecking order system! -- Director dictates to assistant director, who filters info through to 1st AD, who in turn passes on info to 2nd & 3rd ADs, and so on, til everyone is in the loop! above all, they were all great to work with & there was always a relaxed & positive atmosphere on set.

Oddly enough tho, Henry was 3 years below me at school! So I vaguely remember him as a small shy 13-14 year old!! My, how he's grown...

What stood out for you when you saw Henry bring Napoleon Solo to life?

The funny thing is, you guys get the advantage of great sound etc when you watch the movie. However, on set you can almost barely hear them speak as we don't have the advantage of a PA system!! So everyone has to be very quiet as the mics will pick up the slightest peripheral noise, and honestly sometimes you rarely hear a word spoken between 'action' & 'cut'! -- One thing that very much stood out for me on this movie however, was the level of tension and suspense! hopefully, at the very least it'll keep y'all on the edge of your seats!!

How would you describe the mood on set and are there any candid or funny stories you'd like to share?

It was a great set to be a part of, and I guess often the approach or attitude of the director very much sets the tone on set, and being Guy Ritchie, it seemed very relaxed and laid back, yet professional & industrious. I think that's possibly the best environment in which to get the best out of people! - I've been on sets in the past, where the director has either been in a bad mood, or is just having a bad day! and it really does filter down through their subordinates, which can make the atmosphere very tense indeed, on occasion! however no such problems on U.N.C.L.E. As you probably know, there's a lot of downtime/waiting around on film sets, while they set up shots etc, so a bunch of us made a short movie, within the movie, entitled "Dudes that play darts" - I can safely say it'll never see the light of day!!! however it provided much amusement for us, a bunch of dudes dressed as Italian guard, just playing darts for our own amusement! I think you probably had to be there...

There seemed to be several scenes involving stunts during filming including a boat chase with Henry and Armie, did they do their own stunts and what about yourself?

Yeah, there's a fair bit of action in the movie, so it should be a white-knuckle-ride at times! - edge of your seat stuff. There are obviously always stuntmen involved throughout and in certain shots, but Henry & Armie did do the majority of their own work. I certainly didn't have a stunt double, so it's definitely me & my MP5 poppin' off!!Can you tell us what kind of preparation went into playing your role since it's a period piece that takes place in the 60s?

I can only speak for myself, but I remember the series from the '80s when I was a young kid growing up, and I've always been a fan of Robert Vaughn! so I brushed up by watching a whole series of the original U.N.C.L.E to get the tone, and a good feel for it. The only other preparation for me was physical, as I had to grow my hair out a little & turn up clean-shaven each day, which is rare for me in itself!!

We saw dozens of cars from the era used during filming, did you get to ride in any of them and what was that like?

Yes, there were a lot of old cars, some in great nick, knocking about the set! I didn't get to ride in any of them personally, but I'm sure they look more comfortable than they are!! we're spoilt with luxurious car interiors nowadays! - it's sobering sometimes on set, as you'll turn a corner, and it's like walking back into 1968! - the attention to detail is colossal, and everything stands-up perfectly for the era, even under very close inspection.

What was it like working with director Guy Ritchie?

As mentioned in brief earlier, awesome! he's a very nice, laid back & friendly guy, so that filtered through to the atmosphere on set, which was great. He really seems to value outside input, so for this reason, I think he gets the best out of people.What kind of film should fans look forward to seeing when U.N.C.L.E. makes its big debut?

Well it's not for me to say! it's entirely open to your own interpretation really... but expect some great acting, superb direction, action, tension, suspense & some huge whizzes and bangs for good measure!!

What is next for you and will we see you at the U.N.C.L.E. premiere early next year?

Haha! Well I'm hoping my invite is in the post, I guess we'll have to wait and see, won't we?!
For me, it's been a great year so far since I wrapped on U.N.C.L.E, playing one of Michael Fassbender's closest, most feared warriors in Macbeth, coming to cinemas early 2015. I'm also a bushy-bearded soldier who tries in vain to assassinate Angelina Jolie in Maleficent, which we finished filming summer '12! finally due for release next month... I played a US marine, core 40 Baker company in Brad Pitt's tank crew in the movie, Fury, an untold story of an isolated tank crew behind enemy lines during WW2, due for release end of '14. I'm a Spanish armed guard to Sean Penn, in The Gunman, also out later this year. Currently working on the new series of 24, being shot over here in the UK, as the US President's bodyguard & secret service #1. Lots of continuity & dialogue til July, as wherever the president (William DeVane) goes, I go! which has been great to work on thus far. Also brief appearances in movies coming soon, such as- Frankenstein (James McAvoy, Daniel Radcliffe), The Secret Service, Paddington Bear - the movie, Moby Dick - In the Heart of the Sea, and Guardians of the Galaxy!

Previous movies include- Snow White & the Huntsman, Zero Dark Thirty, James Bond - Skyfall, Fast & Furious 6, World War Z, Jack Ryan - Shadow Recruit, The Monuments Men, and more. Not forgetting appearances in some good ol' gritty British TV dramas! such as Law & Order UK, Legacy, Endeavour, Mr. Selfridge, Call the Midwife, Top Boy, The Guilty, Critical, New Tricks, Black Mirror, and many more.

Some very promising stuff in the pipeline, but not as yet at liberty to disclose any of it!! so follow me @dpwestwoodon twitter for the latest vague updates on my weird & shallow existence!!!
Thank you for enduring me & entertaining my seemingly-never-ending waffle.

Much love, greetings & salutations to you all!

Above all, enjoy U.N.C.L.E!!!

Is this man busy or what?! - we are so grateful to Dan for talking to us about The Man from U.N.C.L.E. as we wait for its release. We'll be looking for the Italian guard shooting up the sets when the film hits theaters ;) U.N.C.L.E. is now in post-production and with promo around the corner look for updates as we get them. Thanks again Dan!

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Having covered the Twilight franchise for years, we thought we had seen the granddaddy of promo campaigns, that is until Man of Steel. Now the hard work and creative minds behind the ads linked to the film, are being honored with several awards.

You KNOW the promo ideas and potential advertisers are already being lined up for Batman vs. Superman, and we can just imagine the size of THAT campaign. Minds blown.

This week Man of Steel screenwriter David S. Goyer, was busy promoting the second season of 'Da Vinci's Demons.' During one of his interviews he mentioned the online fan reaction to his projects, and why you can't really listen to it:

"You're dealing with an incredibly vocal but incredibly tiny sort of [group]. That's a mistake that I think a lot of sometimes networks and movie studios make is sort of listening too much to [them].

"I mean, it's important to listen to the fan chatter but you're really talking about a tiny, tiny, tiny portion of your audience that may not be representative of what your mainstream audience actually thinks or feels."

While Goyer is catching some heat for those comments, it reminded us about our interview with Twilight and Dexter screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg. She had similar thoughts on the subject, when we asked her about fan feedback back in 2010:

“I have a fan site, and the fans will weigh in and say wow! you’ve cut too many things out.. or say I’ve done a fantastic job. They are very kind on my site, there are other sites I know that I don’t read, because I can’t handle that kind of intensity. You can’t make all the fans happy, you try to make as many as possible happy."

One thing we can all agree on is how talented some fans can be, when putting together fan posters for Man of Steel 2 as we wait for the real ones to be released. Such is the case with Phoenix (MisterJoMaS), who shared his latest creations. Enjoy!